They say there are only two certain things in life: death and taxes. There is undoubtedly something there, although I personally would at least add “changes”. No matter how you look at it, it’s an integral part of life, and the world around us is built in a constantly evolving way. You can try to fight it, or look for nostalgia and memories, but in the end you don’t have time to stop.
Moreover, we see it in almost every area of life. But as you may have guessed, today I would like to focus exclusively on the video game industry. Here – or especially – we can observe the different changes and types of transformations. Technology rushes by like a Shinkansen train, so sometimes it’s hard to notice moments of development, because if we stop, we’ll soon be left behind. Well, to match your audience, this is what it should look like.
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Although these changes are hard to accept in some ways, there seems to be no way to stop them. So who can predict what our “gaming reality” will look like in the future? We can only guess, or… based on the analysis, the results of which seem to give interesting results. What do I mean by that? Well, smartphones.
Smartphones vs consoles
Or, more specifically, the growing smartphone gaming sector. While I realize this may seem very controversial and even objectionable to some, this is the reality today. Moreover, not long ago I wrote about the results of a survey conducted in Japan in 2023, in which 700 people between the ages of 15 and 24 participated.
The results were… somewhat surprising. As we read, 80% of Japanese youth play games, and up to 94.7% of them use smartphones for this purpose. In second place is the Nintendo Switch, but the result is only 38.5%. The platform ends with a personal computer, which only 33.2% of participants used for gaming purposes. No matter how you look at it, the results are quite telling.
And that’s not all – last December YouGov published very interesting results of an analysis carried out in 48 different countries – and showed that among the gamers surveyed, more time is spent playing video games on smartphones than on consoles and PCs! The situation seems clear enough, although it is not related to the last few months.
We can go back to 2021, when Statista conducted its research on adult gamers in the United States. Do you know which gaming device was used the most? That’s right, from smartphones (54%). Consoles came in second (35%), and PCs and laptops came in third (32%). So we are not witnessing a sudden change, rather it is a slow process that is likely to accelerate.
Where does this come from?
Of course, this situation results from several problems – some more obvious, some less so. First, you need to consider the availability of mobile devices. Not every kid you ask on the street has a computer capable of running the hottest new games, and not everyone has a console to play the new releases either. With smartphones, the situation is much better – thanks to this, everyone can play the same title.
I personally see this when I look at my stepson. Even though I gave him a Nintendo Switch with a wide selection of games some time ago, he still spends more time playing – as my grandmother says – boring games on his phone. why is he doing this? I asked him, and his answer was simple, but it confirmed what I wrote earlier: “Because everyone plays.”
Here we can return to the accessibility mentioned above. Today, the price of a smartphone with very powerful components can be objectively low. Most young people have a mobile phone anyway. No need to buy a separate gaming device for him – he can keep up with the latest products like Roblox, Stamble Guys, etc. This has its advantages as it is difficult to rule out.
However, they also have their drawbacks – such games do not add much to a child’s life, except for the simplest entertainment. Additionally, the core mechanics often rely on opening multiple boxes or accidentally tapping the screen. There is no point in relying on adventures, developing morality or building hand-eye coordination. Many products are as simplistic as possible and focus on continuous injections of dopamine. But these are the times.
The death of consoles?
Finally, I would like to raise a topic that could be addressed in the comments. I want to be clear that I am in no way predicting the death of consoles. It would be as empty an article as saying that boxed games are a relic of the past. As long as they offer products of a completely different and superior level, they are not in danger. Many children will eventually need something more than just a “toy”.
The situation is definitely changing, and the scale is likely to tip more and more towards smartphones, which make everything fit in your pocket. Video games, Tik Tok, instant messaging, phone, etc. However, I believe that this “crowded” gaming market is not in danger. And the situation will not change for a long time, because … good things defend themselves. Eventually, everyone abandons the simplest means of entertainment and seeks something more.
